The moment the Terriers were promoted
Photo: Huddersfield Town FC Facebook
The David Wagner story, the next American to coach in the EPL
by Kartik Krishnaiyer
The riches of the Premier League era and money required to compete at that high level have left some traditional footballing areas behind. No area has typified this more than Yorkshire, once the home to some of the greatest footballing institutions in England, but now a wasteland of lower division teams living on past glory.
One such club Huddersfield Town AFC, had its golden era long before the likes neighbors of Leeds United. Huddersfield itself is tucked about midway between Manchester and Leeds just off the heavily traveled M62 that links the north’s two largest cities, but Huddersfield Town AFC has been an afterthought for many years. The Terriers have won three top flight titles and reached five FA Cup finals but hasn’t been in the top flight since 1972. Like so much of Yorkshire, the best days were in the past.
But today Huddersfield Town AFC is a Premier League club while the likes of Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Bradford City Middlesbrough and the rest of the clubs in Yorkshire toil in lower division purgatory. The Terriers survived a penalty shootout on Monday at Wembley against Reading to gain promotion for the first time in 45 years. How did this happen? Thank one very wise German-American named David Wagner.
Wagner has been often forgotten by those who follow the US Men’s National Team (USMNT). A relic of what many felt was then-Manager Steve Sampson’s failed experiment in calling in German-Americans, Wagner might have been a victim of misplaced jingoism among some commentators and fans. Wagner was certainly victimized by an ill-fated (but perhaps ahead of its time) tactical change by Sampson to a 3-6-1 formation for which the German-American striker was ill-suited.
But his skill set was fairly obvious to those who watched – a player who could run the channels but could also hold up the ball. At the time finding pockets of space was a difficult skill for many US attacking players. This is for example why South African-born but Florida bred Roy Wegerle, never a prolific international goal scorer stayed in the national team plans for so long.
Wagner was a part of Schalke’s UEFA Cup winning team in 1997 though he wasn’t a major factor in the sides run to the title but was an unused substitute in the second leg of the final. Wagner’s teammate in Gelsenkirchen, fellow German-American Tom Dooley had brought the forward to the attention of Sampson.
David Wagner inspects Wembley Stadium before kick off
Photo: Huddersfield Town
Having played in friendlies for the German U-21 team in an era when FIFA rules were less clear, Wagner’s appearance in a critical qualifier in the 1997 Hexagonal against Canada drew a legal challenge from the Canadian Soccer Association, who sought a forfeit by the US. FIFA determined Wagner was eligible to play for the US because had an American passport when he played in friendlies for Germany and never suited up in a competitive match for the Germans.
Having been cut from the USMNT after failing to adapt to the 3-6-1 well in a friendly against Austria in Vienna, Wagner returned to Germany. He and fellow German-American Michael Mason were discarded by Sampson’s successor Bruce Arena who even had to be convinced of the quality of naturalized American David Regis.
Arena’s hiring ended Wagner’s USMNT career but the player took the lessons of adaptability and hard work off the ball into what has become a bright coaching career.Huddersfield Town is a club with massive support that has like its Yorkshire neighbors been languishing for years, punching below its weight in an era dominated by clubs from London and nearby Manchester. Huddersfield itself is only about 30 miles from Manchester, a city which has produced 15 Premier League champions in the 25-year history of the current iteration of England’s top flight.
Huddersfield was last a top-flight club in 1972, when Manchester City tossed away the title in the last month of the season, blowing a seven point lead to Brian Clough’s Derby County. The club has a grit to it that has allowed it maintain competitiveness even in tough times. But after three and a half seasons of struggle in England’s second tier, the club stunningly hired Wagner as its Manager in late 2015. The choice was made just weeks after Wagner’s Managerial protegé Juergen Klopp was hired by Liverpool.
Wagner’s management style involves high-pressing and defensive shape at the back. It perhaps relies too heavily on having the right midfield playmaker (this season it was Manchester City loanee Aaron Mooy) to keep the side from being disjointed. Being forced to learn English and observe the culture around US Soccer, no doubt helped Wagner’s acclimation to managing in the English second tier with a club that was nobody’s choice to be promoted this season.
Huddersfield under Wagner has been largely hit but sometimes miss. The team is gritty and resourceful and able to often eke out 1-0 victories and hit the opposition with the high-press. But sometimes the side gets disjointed and loses 2-0, 3-0 or worse. Wagner will have to address the lack of balance in the midfield this summer transfer window if the side is to make a run at Premier League survival.
This season Wagner relied heavily on the loan system and raiding German second division clubs to allow Huddersfield to compete effectively with side that had greater resources and more recent top-flight pedigree. The loan system won’t be as easy to exploit in the Premier League though some opportunities no doubt still will present itself for the Terriers.
But discussion of survival can wait for another day. Wagner’s achievement and that of a Yorkshire club who is returning to the big time is something to be celebrated. It’s also worth celebrating another American link to the English top flight.
